The Fullness Of Him.
Ephesians 1:15-23.
Did you know that we are Jesus’ body- the Church. The Bride Of Christ. Ephesians 1:23, We are the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.“
We are very unique, because we were not called, but God changed His mind. I’m so glad God changed His mind, aren’t you?
Again, we are the fullness of Jesus Christ!
Colossians 1:18-20TPT He is the Head of his body, which is the church. And since he is the beginning and the firstborn heir in resurrection, he is the most exalted One, holding first place in everything. 19For God is satisfied to have all his fullness dwelling in Christ. 20And by the blood of his cross, everything in heaven and earth is brought back to himself—back to its original intent, restored to innocence again!
That’s not our text, but it could be! Lol.
What happens if we really don’t know who we are? What happens to those who neglect who Jesus wants them to be?
Lady Diana. Married into the Royal Family of England, wife of Prince Charles, the very beautiful Diana had all that anybody could ever dream of. She had two most beautiful children in the world. Charles wasn’t faithful, But she was not happy, she a terrible bouts of depression.
Famous professional golf player, Tiger Woods who has over one billion dollars. He is linked to many sex scandals. Woods has been getting treatment for his sex addiction.
Richard Lang. A Lottery winner who won nearly $ 2 million, five years ago hanged himself at his luxury four-bedroom home.
Again, Ephesians 1:23 We are the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.“
The book of Ephesians balances doctrine and duty. First, Paul reminds us of what God has done for us; then he tells us what we must do for Him in response to His mercies. Christian living is based on Christian learning. The believer who does not know his wealth in Christ will never be able to walk for Christ.
Too many Christians live in Ephesians chapters 1-3, and study the doctrines, but fail to move into Ephesians chapters 4-6, and practice the duties.
Ephesians 1:15-23NIV ”For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.“
So what is true wealth? Is it having more money? Is it having multiple residences?
Traits of the Truly Rich. Ephesus was one of the great cities of Asia Minor: a Roman capital, a center for the worship of Diana, and a wealthy commercial center, located on an ample harbor that invited world trade. The temple of Diana was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the worship of this goddess was jealously guarded, (Acts 19:23).
There are two prayers in Ephesians:
(1) "That you might know," 1:15-23.
(2) "That you might be," 3:13-21.
The first is for enlightenment, the second for enablement.
Warren Wiersbe- Paul prays first that we might know what Christ has done for us; then he prays that we might live up to these wonderful blessings and put them to work in our daily lives.
There are several important traits from the book of Ephesians, I want to point out this morning.
Paul writes, I heard of your faith and love, Vs 15.
Ephesians 1:15MSG That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed,
“I think the greatest thing that can be said of a believer is that their faith and love are heard about.” P.H
Ephesians 1:3TLB How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every blessing in heaven because we belong to Christ.
Testimony- Our youth Pastor Jimmy Holbert was suddenly ask to speak to the Red Bud Elementary students. Jimmy spoke and 100 kids stood up for salvation!
Question: How loud is your faith and love? Is it a saying faith, or is it a saying and doing faith?
2. Paul states in, Ephesians 1:16b... may Jesus give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
-A Spirit of wisdom and revelation! Why? Vs. 16c... So that you may know him better
Wisdom speaks. Wisdom words are like, “Rest in Me. Trust Me. Wait until tomorrow, -I will fight your battles for you!”
3. Paul states, I pray that your eyes are opened, that you may know the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people,
Vs. 18...That you may know the hope to which he has called you,
The word called is an important word in the Christian's vocabulary. The word church is a combination of two Greek words that mean "called out.”
Isaiah 62:12NIV They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.
**“You need to understand that God deals with us on the basis of our future, not our past.” P.H
Philippians 3:13b-14TLB ...Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us.
Do you have your eyes on the prize?
A man found an eagle's egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken. He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he would thrash his wings and fly a few feet into the air. Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. It glided in graceful majesty among the powerful wind currents, with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings. The old eagle looked up in awe. "Who's that?" he asked."That's the eagle, the king of the birds," said his neighbor. "He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth--we're chickens." So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that's what he thought he was.
“It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.” -Henry Ward Beecher
4. For those who believe, We receive His great power... Ephesians 1:19-21
And this is the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead lives in You!
Please hear this, The power of the Holy Spirit, through the resurrected, ascended Christ, is available to all Christians - by faith. -His power is to "us who believe.”
5. When invoked, your authority in Jesus name is far above any other authority, vs 21.
Truth: If you had a password that could get you all the money you could ever need wouldn’t you use it? -Jesus gives you His name!
Ephesians 1:22-23TPT And he alone is the leader and source of everything needed in the church. God has put everything beneath the authority of Jesus Christ and has given him the highest rank above all others. 23 And now we, his church, are his body on the earth and that which fills him who is being filled by it!
The church is not:
An ark for the saving of a select few.
A ferryboat to take effortless passengers to the shores of heaven.
A life insurance company, with no obligation on policy holders except the payment of a small annual premium.
A social set, welcoming certain people and excluding others from its fellowship.
A Sunday pleasure club for the providing of pleasant occupation on the day of rest.
The church is:
A lifeboat for the rescue of sin-wrecked and perishing souls.
A family, in which love and service are expected from each member to each member.
An organized community with constant activities and continual growth and development.
The church is a company of believers who have found the one way of life, and obey the one Lord of life.
In his book, Comeback Churches, Ed Stetzer said: Comeback churches cast a compelling vision for outreach. They made intentional, strategic efforts to move outward. The main reason a church does not grow is that it doesn’t want to grow. Everyone in the church should be engaged in three ways:
1. They should be pray-ers.
Pray by name for those the church is trying to reach.
2. They should be bring-ers.
In the gospels, the first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon.
Did you know, about half the congregation will bring someone on a Friend Day.
3. They should be tell-ers.
People are good at working within the church. The goal is to get outside the church.
How about you? -Can you identify 3 unchurched friends to witness to each year.
Benediction. We, (You), have the fullness of Jesus Christ living on the inside of you, we (You), have no excuse!
